4 ms·

After solving global warming, should we be more concerned by the approaching end of the current interglacial period? The next glacial period of the current Ice

After solving global warming, should we be more concerned by the approaching end of the current interglacial period? The next glacial period of the current Ice Age is going to be terrible for our stage of technology and civilization. If we are serious about the current issues of climate change, and about potential asteroid impacts, why should we not also be planning for the mid- to long-term risk of the return to an Ice Age?

jimjansen1 8y ago
Seriously fuck off.
yters 8y ago
This is an interesting question. Haven't there been much warmer periods in our planet's history that were followed by an ice age? It is hard to sort out exactly what climate change means.
- Comevius 8y ago
  Those warming periods are either local, are much, much slower and they are not supposed to be in sync with human activities either. This one is much faster. Not everyone sees it of course. Change blindness is what they call it. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/big-fish-stories-getting-littler?t=1531204154500&t=1537827635100&t=1544136887700 https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/b...
  - ilove_banh_mi 8y ago
    This is not a correct description of past climate changes. The glacial and interglacial periods of the last 2.5 million years have been global and swinging temperatures by 6-9°C in either direction, with periods between 40-100k years. During the last interglacial (Eemian, ca. 129–116k years ago) sea level was 6-9 meters higher than today; Scandinavia was an island. The water temperature of the North Sea was about 2°C higher than at present; hippos lived as far North as the Rhine and the Thames. The onset of the Eemian took just a few centuries, during which global temperatures shot up >5°C.
    - Comevius 8y ago
      https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05314-1#ref-CR8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05314-1#ref-CR8 The Eemian was caused by reduced North Atlantic ocean circulation, a courtesy of the previous Saale glaciacion period, too much fresh water, and continued transfer of heat from the south. It produced abrupt effects localized to high altitude areas. Most of what you described occured in the later stages of this 15000 year long period. The Eemian cannot be really compared to the current global warming, a potential AMOC (Atlantic meridional overturning circulation) instability is just one out of the thousand problems we are facing.

jimjansen1 8y ago

Seriously fuck off.

yters 8y ago

This is an interesting question. Haven't there been much warmer periods in our planet's history that were followed by an ice age? It is hard to sort out exactly what climate change means.

Comevius 8y ago
Those warming periods are either local, are much, much slower and they are not supposed to be in sync with human activities either. This one is much faster. Not everyone sees it of course. Change blindness is what they call it. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/big-fish-stories-getting-littler?t=1531204154500&t=1537827635100&t=1544136887700 https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/b...
- ilove_banh_mi 8y ago
  This is not a correct description of past climate changes. The glacial and interglacial periods of the last 2.5 million years have been global and swinging temperatures by 6-9°C in either direction, with periods between 40-100k years. During the last interglacial (Eemian, ca. 129–116k years ago) sea level was 6-9 meters higher than today; Scandinavia was an island. The water temperature of the North Sea was about 2°C higher than at present; hippos lived as far North as the Rhine and the Thames. The onset of the Eemian took just a few centuries, during which global temperatures shot up >5°C.
  - Comevius 8y ago
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05314-1#ref-CR8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05314-1#ref-CR8 The Eemian was caused by reduced North Atlantic ocean circulation, a courtesy of the previous Saale glaciacion period, too much fresh water, and continued transfer of heat from the south. It produced abrupt effects localized to high altitude areas. Most of what you described occured in the later stages of this 15000 year long period. The Eemian cannot be really compared to the current global warming, a potential AMOC (Atlantic meridional overturning circulation) instability is just one out of the thousand problems we are facing.